Improvement in hoofing



DRAKE BENTON, OF ITIIACA, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent 1V0. 63,371, dated 11221172, 1867 IMPROVEMENT IN ROOFING.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, DRAKE W. BENTON, of Ithaca, Tompkins county, NewYork, have invented certain Improvements in Coal-Tar Roofing; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionthereof.

My objects are, first, to make a durable roofing by the use of certainmaterials with coal tar; second, to make a yielding surface under theroofing, thus preventing the cracking of the material used by theshrinkage and swelling of the roof-board; third, to so make the roofingmaterial that the changes of the weather shall not crack the materialitself, nor cause it to flow or slide down on the roof after it has beenapplied.

These objects I accomplish as follows: First, by using sand, groundrock, gravel, plaster, and other material. These Imix either with coldor hot coal tar, or partially dried coal tar. The second object Iaccomplish by the use of any cushion or stuffing material spread in athin yet sulficieutly suitable sheet over the roof-boards, so that theprepared roofing material shall not rest on the boards, but on thisyielding padding or matting, and thus the boards can swell or shrink andyet the roofing be unbroken. For this purpose I use oakum, out hay orstraw, flax or flax waste, or other articles, which by their nature areneither paper, cloth, nor felting, but are more elastic and pliable thanany of these latter substances. And especially do I consider novel anduseful the fibres of wood cut by machinery-that known as cxcelsior woodmatting, for stufiing chairs, sofas, and other articles, beingpeculiarly suited to my purpose. This fibrous wood or material. I firstfasten by any convenient method to the rooi', and then apply my roofingmaterial over and upon it. The third object I accomplish by the use ofthe mixtures named in my patent dated January 19, 1864, whenever wish tomake a roofing that will be hard, comparatively odorless, and finishedin a very short period of time. And when I wish a material that neitherthe heat of the sun nor fire will cause to flow, but will be longer inhardening, I mix common water lime with it in such proportions that in afew hours or days after its application it is hardened; or in suchproportions that itwill not flow at any time after its application tothe roof has been made, though flexible and movable for awhile under thetrowel. I have made it so that it will not flow except as it is spreadby the trowel, even though the roof-boards be burned and theroofing beheated red hot. With most of'the materials above named three-fourths ofthe material mixed with one-fourth of hydraulic lime is a good rule,although in hot weather I use more than in cold weather.

The use of my invention is apparent to those skilled in the art to whichit appertains.

- Claim.

1. I claim the use of wood-fibre matting, orother cushioning, padding,or matting material, not woven, made into paper, nor felting, when usedfor the purpose of separating the roofing material from the root boards,and thus making the coal-tar roofing independent-of the variations ofthe boards by swelling and shrinkage, as described.

2. I do not claim the mere use in roofing of hydraulic lime,but I doclaim its use, substantially in the proportions herein described, forthe purpose of so drying any convenient rooting material or mixture withcoal tar, so that it'sha-ll prevent the flowing, settling, or slidingdown of the coal-tar roofing, as described.

D. W. BENTON.

.Witnesses:

SAMUEL J. PARKER, A. M. Lucas.

